We are looking around for a lightly used Sunseeker, and we see ads from Canadream everywhere. I have heard warnings from people about buying used rental equipment, but I would like to hear from anyone who has actualy bought from one of the larger rental agencies. (Apologies if there is already a thread on this topic. I could not find it.)

I handle that account and biased or not...their stuff is always in great shape.

1. 95% of their rentals are from Europe. They tend to use them longer (not just weekends like we see domestically)
2. Just ask for their service records. Every oil change, every repair, every piece of damage. It is ridiculous how detailed their records are.
3. They have extremely high standards for cleaning and every one gets a thorough cleaning when it comes in.

I have worked several RV shows for them and when I come in, I really can't tell which ones are used.

We also do several upgrades for them to make sure they can handle the higher usage.

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I handle that account and biased or not...their stuff is always in great shape.

1. 95% of their rentals are from Europe. They tend to use them longer (not just weekends like we see domestically)
2. Just ask for their service records. Every oil change, every repair, every piece of damage. It is ridiculous how detailed their records are.
3. They have extremely high standards for cleaning and every one gets a thorough cleaning when it comes in.

I have worked several RV shows for them and when I come in, I really can't tell which ones are used.

We also do several upgrades for them to make sure they can handle the higher usage.

I purchased a used RV rental unit (Class C) a few years back. It was not from Canadream but from a RV dealer. I purchased it unseen, other than pictures and an inspection by a friend who was not an RVer. The unit had a lot of miles for the year, the mattress was fit for the garbage and that's where I left it before we left the lot. The upholstery was well worn. the countertops and open surfaces where cleaned, but when my clean freak wife started to inspect it for cleanliness, I almost got chucked to the curb. I also replaced a U-joint within a year. No other mechanical problems and the tires where new. Would I buy a used rental unit again. probably not, but then I have not looked at the Canadream units. As BCLEMENS states, they may very well have a good service record and kept clean.

BCLEMENS: What upgrades do you do they get that will make them withstand higher usage?

It depends on the year. We have tried out a few different suppliers/parts in an attempt to build the perfect unit. (AKA indestructible). On the bright side, many MANY of the things we switch to for their rental fleet, we end up incorporating into our normal product. When we first started doing this back in 2004, the list was probably 6 pages. Its now down to about 2. (bunk ladder with flat steps instead of round bars was from their feedback...socked feet hate round bars)

I can't get into everything that they do, but here are a few.
Last year we started deleting the drawer latches and switched to a soft closing, self latching drawer guide (more like residential, but with a latching feature). They upgrade to the "Trump" line of Serta. Pretty high grade mattress, more like a Tempur-Pedic. They use an electronic range hood vent (although we're having some troubles sourcing that part now), LED lights and they have a unit that is built for 4 seasons.

MOST if not all rental companies strip their unit to keep the price down...and in turn, the guests end up with a crappy unit. Canadream pays to get some upgrades so that their guests have a great experience. I fly up there next week to go over this years fleet notes. What worked and what didn't. We're not perfect (YET)...but feedback from them really helps us diagnose weak suppliers and products. Then we try and balance that with what the dealers want (lower price, lower price). I guess we're getting close. Sunseeker was the #1 retail sold Class C in 2011 & 2012. <steps down from sales podium>

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We UNKNOWINGLY bought a rental - against our express statements to the salesman.

We were against a rental on the theory that equipment used 100 times by one family with one learning curve was better than 100 families with 100 learning curves.

That said - we've had no problems. The couch seems to sag horribly, but wife said they were that way in all the coaches. Ours was a 2009 class C with 45,000 miles - we've put on about 3k more in about 5 or 6 trips in the last 3 months.

The privacy curtains in the hall aren't perfect anymore and the cotterpin in one of the stabilizers broke. Fixed the cotterpin, and we don't use the privacy curtains anyway. Oh, and one of the steps on the ladder is broken.

Foam is always a catch 22. price/quality Industry standard is about 1.2lbs per cubic foot. We started upgrading our Class C's in about 2010 or 2011 (again based on feedback).

Residential grade starts out at 1.8. Memory foam is normally 3 and up. Foam gets really expensive because it is a petroleum based product. The other issue is "Compression". You can have the same "density" but a higher "Compression" so it feels firmer. This also helps it last longer because it does not flex enough. High density + High Compression will last forever...but it sits like a church pew.

I know WAY more than anyone should about this stuff...but we spent 5-6 years finding a mattress that gave us Zero issues. (Comfort & durability). And finding cushions that would hold up but not sit too firm.

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__________________PLEASE do not send questions via Private Message. Post questions in the forum as a new thread so that other users can benefit from the answers. Use Private Messages for sensitive information only. Our owners manuals are available online and via iPhone/Android Apps. http://www.dynamaxcorp.com/OnlineManual.aspx